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A preliminary evaluation of the adaptation of four assessments for offenders with special needs
- Authors:
- KEELING Jenny A., ROSE John L., BEECH Anthony R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(2), June 2007, pp.62-73.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Appropriate assessment is an essential part of treating sexual offenders. Few assessments exist that can be used with offenders who have lower levels of intellectual functioning and/or literacy deficits. This study describes the adaptation of four self-report assessments for sexual offenders with special needs: (i) the Social Intimacy Scale; (ii) the Relationship Scales Questionnaire; (iii) the Criminal Sentiments Scale; and (iv) the Victim Empathy Distortion Scale. Each scale was adapted in an effort to simplify content and language and to improve readability. Preliminary data are presented on the comparability of each adapted measure to the original, as well as the internal consistency, reliability, and concurrent validity of the adapted tests. The SIS and the QVES were identified as appropriate assessment measures, comparable to the original with good reliability and validity. One subscale of the RSQ had fair reliability and validity, while the remaining subscales had varied psychometric properties. The adapted CSS had poor psychometric qualities and the adaptation of this test appears not to have been successful. The relevance of these findings to an understanding of offending by this population is discussed.
Care staff perceptions of challenging behaviour and fear of assault
- Authors:
- ROSE John L., CLEARY Adam
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(2), June 2007, pp.153-161.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study investigates fear of assault in relation to exposure to challenging behaviour. The extent to which a social psychological model of fear of assault can be generalised to care staff working with individuals with intellectual disability (ID) was tested and the validity of the instruments used was assessed. A total of 87 care staff took part in a questionnaire-based study carried out in two separate and distinct organisations providing residential services to individuals with ID. In one service, staff exposure to challenging behaviour was high, with many clients having a forensic history, and in the other, staff exposure to challenging behaviour was low. According to one measure, care staff exposed to high levels of challenging behaviour were more fearful about work-related violence. However, no difference was found between the groups on the second measure. Regression analyses indicated some support for the generalisability of dimensions of the model of fear of assault in explaining feelings of unsafety. This study suggests that fear of assault may be an important factor when trying to understand care staff responses to challenging behaviour. However, the equivocal nature of the results raises questions about the validity of existing methods of assessing this fear.
The development of a questionnaire to assess the perceptions of care staff towards people with intellectual disabilities who display challenging behaviour
- Authors:
- WILLIAMS Ruth J., ROSE John L.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 11(2), June 2007, pp.197-211.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
The perceptions of staff about challenging behaviour may be a key factor in designing successful behavioural interventions. There is a lack of robust psychometric instruments designed to assess staff attributions towards incidents of challenging behaviour. The aim of this research was to develop a scale based upon the self-regulation theory of illness behaviour. Two staff focus groups identified and clarified relevant constructs to be included in the Challenging Behaviour Perception Questionnaire (CBPQ), which was then completed by 51 staff. Some correlations between the CBPQ and the Attributional Style Questionnaire were found. A significant amount of the variance in the perception of challenging behaviour was explained by the subscales of the new questionnaire. In particular, episodic timeline would seem to be a promising area for further investigation.
Assessment of intellectually disabled sexual offenders: the current position
- Authors:
- KEELING Jenny A., BEECH Anthony R., ROSE John L.
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12(2), March 2007, pp.229-242.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Treatment relies on appropriate assessment, guided by the ‘What Works’ approach. As such, the assessment of sexual offenders with intellectual disabilities has three primary purposes: addressing the risk, needs, and responsivity principles. The aim of this paper is to examine different assessment methods for this population. Existing risk assessment protocols are discussed, as well as specific dynamic risk assessment tools for sexual offenders with an intellectual disability. The paper also investigates use of existing, adapted and new psychological tests to assess treatment needs. Assessment of responsivity specific to this population is discussed in terms of intellectual and adaptive functioning, as well as comprehension. Suggestions are made for moving towards a comprehensive assessment strategy for this population.
Comparing sexual offender treatment efficacy: mainstream sexual offenders and sexual offenders with special needs
- Authors:
- KEELING Jenny A., ROSE John L., BEECH Anthony R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(2), June 2007, pp.117-124.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper investigates the efficacy of a treatment program for sexual offenders with special needs in comparison to treatment outcomes for mainstream sexual offenders in Australia. Follow-up data is also presented for the group of offenders with special needs. Participants from the two groups were matched on four variables (risk category, sex of victim, type of offence and age). All participants completed an assessment battery pre- and post-treatment and the scores on these tests were analysed for each group. Change on these measures was also compared between the two groups. Follow-up data for the special needs cohort were collected from an offender database. Overall, both groups made few significant changes on the tests post-treatment, however individual results demonstrated that some offenders in both groups had achieved reliable change. In comparing treatment results between the two groups, the sexual offenders with special needs differed only on progress relating to "avoidant" relationship styles. The results also indicated that social desirability bias played a significant role in self-report assessment for both groups. Follow-up data for the group with special needs identified that none of the offenders had committed further sexual offences, after an average release time of 16 months. There are a number of limitations to this study, particularly as a result of the experimental design and the small number of participants, and these should be considered as a major limitation on the conclusions drawn from the results. However, it is suggested that the program had some positive effects for some offenders, with little difference in progress detected between the two groups. Possible explanations for the varied outcomes are discussed.